Kovacevic Advances to Final After Upsetting Rublev in Los Cabos

Los Cabos, Mexico — Aleksandar Kovacevic delivered an impressive performance on Friday night, defeating World No. 10 Andrey Rublev, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, to advance to the final of the Mifel Tennis Open.

The match lasted two hours and 29 minutes, with Kovacevic overcoming a slow start against Rublev, who was seeking his 250th career win on hard courts. “I can’t lie but say that once you get a win over a player one time, you believe you can do it again,” said Kovacevic after the match. “I was not feeling so great to start, but then I really found my energy in the second and third sets.”

This win marked Kovacevic’s second victory over Rublev this year, following his previous triumph in Montpellier in February. With this victory, Kovacevic now holds a 2-0 lead in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series and becomes the fourth American finalist in Los Cabos history.

Kovacevic’s hard-fought win has propelled him 10 spots up to No. 66 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings, with a chance to climb further if he wins the title. He will face Denis Shapovalov, who also made headlines by reaching the final without dropping a set throughout the tournament.

Shapovalov advanced convincingly after a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Adam Walton. The Canadian saved all four break points he faced while converting all four on Walton’s serve. “It’s important to stay aggressive and keep going for it. It’s been a great week for me,” Shapovalov remarked. He is currently positioned as the third seed in Los Cabos and is keen to capture his fourth career ATP title.

The championship match promises to be an exciting clash, marking the first-ever meeting between Kovacevic and Shapovalov on the ATP Tour.